30 May, 2010

Marathi Natya-Sangeet - Govind Ballal Deval

As like Annasaheb Kirloskar (अण्णासाहेब किर्लोस्कर), I will cover one of the prominent personality in Sangeet-Nataks - Govind Ballal Deval (गोविंद बल्लाळ देवल). Born in 1855, he is considered among the leading dramatist from Maharashtra.

Deval was originally influenced by Annasaheb Kirolskar. He joined his Kirloskar Natak Mandali (किर्लोस्कर नाटक मंडळी)at around 1875 (while still in high-school) as an actor and because of his tallent, he soon became Associate Director in no time. In Sangeet-Shakuntal (संगीत शाकुन्तल) first play by Annasaheb Kirloskar, Deval composed the lyrics and music of the many of the Musical Pieces.

After the death of Annasaheb Kirloskar, Deval carried forward his work with Kirloskar Natak Mandali. He worked as a playwright, an actor and a play director. In 1894, he founded his own Aryoddharak Natak Mandali(आर्योद्धरकनाटक मंडळी) in Pune. And in 1913, he joined Gandharv Natak Mandali (गंधर्व नाटक मंडळी)founded by Bal Gandharv (बाल गंधर्व).

While working with Kirloskar and in later stages, Deval wrote some his own Nataks as well. But not all of those were Sangeet Nataks. His famous Sangeet Nataks includes Sangeet Shap-Sambhram (संगीत शाप-संभ्रम), Sangeet-Mruchchhakatik (संगीत मृच्छकटिक), Sangeet-Sharada (संगीत शारदा), Sangeet-SanshayKallol (संगीत संशयकल्लोळ), Sangeet-Jhunjarrao (संगीत झुंझारराव). All Sangeet Nataks were very successful and Sangeet-Sharada and Sangeet-SanshayKallol are still played on Marathi Theaters.

Govind Ballal Deval died in 1916, just after 3 years joining Gandharv Natak Mandali. He was a Mentor and a Guru to many famous actors in Sangeet Nataks like Shripad Krushna Kolhatkar (श्रीपाद कृष्ण कोल्हटकर), Nanasaheb Joglekar (नानासाहेब जोगळेकर), Kashinathpant Parchure (काशिनाथपंत परचुरे), Ganesh Bodas (गणेश बोडस), Bal Gandharv (बाल गंधर्व). He along with Vishnudas Bhave (विष्णुदास भावे) and Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar (कृष्णाजी प्रभाकर खाडिलकर)was regarded as Brahma, Mahesh and Vishnu of Marathi Theater. He worked a lot in the Social Problems. In his Sangeet Natak Sangeet-Sharada he criticized the inhuman customs of marrying young girls with grown up widowers. In his honour British Raj legally banned that custom and gave it name Sharada Act.

1 comment:

Govind Ballal Deval had an elder brother who was a formidable musicologist. I forget his name, but it was probably 'Krushnaji'. K B Deval used to give lec-dems about the use of shruti-s with Abdul Karim Khan. Later Deval and Khansaheb quarreled over some issue. K B Deval brought up GBD after their parent's early death and married him off before his craze for theatre became famous because those days, people in the field of drama were considerable disreputable. Truth be told, most of them did behave in disreputable ways.